Reading and Phonics

Phonics Progression Document 2024-25

Phonics teaching book list

St Sidwell's Reading Spine 

Reading Progression Document 24-25

Reading at St Sidwell's

At Sidwell’s, reading is at the heart of everything we do. We believe that reading opens minds and unlocks doors to worlds that we may never otherwise experience. We believe that exposing, exploring and examining these literary worlds allows children to challenge their own ideas, see their own lived experiences mirrored in texts and help them to appreciate and understand the lives of others. 

At St Sidwell’s Primary School and Nursery, we recognise that reading is a fundamental skill that underpins learning across the curriculum as well as equipping our children for their future. Our aim is to foster a love of reading while ensuring that every child develops the necessary skills to become fluent, confident, and independent readers. We follow a systematic and structured approach to teaching reading, underpinned by research from the Ofsted Reading Framework (2022) and the National Curriculum (2014). 

We know that reading is the gateway to the rest of the curriculum, and we strive to prioritise high-quality phonics instruction, comprehension development, and a culture of reading for pleasure. The way we teach reading is structured around these principles to ensure the best outcomes for all our children. 

Aims 

• To ensure that all children become confident, fluent, and independent readers. 

• To develop pupils’ comprehension skills and ability to engage critically with texts. 

• To provide a structured, systematic approach to phonics and early reading. 

• To promote reading for pleasure and cultivate a lifelong love of books. 

• To support children in developing a broad and varied vocabulary. 

• To provide targeted support for pupils who need additional help with reading. 

Phonics and Early Reading 

• We use the systematic synthetic phonics programme Read Write Inc. to teach early reading skills, following a structured, progressive approach. 

• Phonics teaching begins in Nursery, where children are introduced to sound discrimination, rhythm, and rhyme, as well as the first letter sounds. They are also taught how to ‘Fred Talk’ to develop their early blending skills. 

• In Reception and Key Stage 1, phonics is taught daily, ensuring that pupils develop decoding skills and fluency. 

• Phonics interventions are provided for pupils who require additional support. 

• Pupils take home decodable reading books matched to their phonics stage to reinforce learning at home. 

Developing Fluency and Comprehension 

Once pupils have a secure phonics foundation, they transition to broader reading strategies, including guided reading, whole-class reading, and independent reading. 

Comprehension skills are developed through discussion, questioning, and modelling, and through a wide range of texts to develop children’s subject knowledge. 

Pupils are introduced to increasingly complex texts  

Teachers use explicit strategies to help pupils understand and use new vocabulary in context. 

Reading lessons incorporate strategies such as prediction, summarising, inference, and retrieval. 

Children are encouraged to read aloud to develop fluency, expression, and confidence. 

Reading for Pleasure 

At St Sidwell’s, we are committed to fostering a culture of reading for pleasure, recognising its role in improving literacy outcomes and overall academic success. 

• Classroom Environments: Every class have access to an inviting reading area with a diverse range of books that are refereshed regularly. 

• Daily Storytime: Teachers read aloud to pupils daily, exposing them to rich and varied texts. 

• School Library: Our newly developed library is accessible to all pupils, with unlimited opportunities for book borrowing. 

• Book Recommendations: Teachers and pupils share book recommendations to encourage discussion about reading. 

• Reading Challenges and Events: We participate in events such as World Book Day, paired reading, and author visits. 

• Parental Engagement: Parents are encouraged to read with their children at home, and workshops are provided to support them in developing reading habits. 

Assessment and Intervention 

• Reading progress is assessed regularly through phonics assessments, fluency assessments, and comprehension tasks. 

• Children who require additional support receive targeted interventions, including phonics catch-up sessions and small-group reading. 

• Teachers use formative and summative assessment to identify gaps and tailor instruction accordingly. 

• Pupils are encouraged to reflect on their reading through their guided reading books and discussions. 

Supporting Learners with SEND and EAL 

• Pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL) receive tailored support, including visual aids, dual-language books, and scaffolding strategies. 

• SEND pupils are provided with adapted resources and structured interventions to ensure they can access the reading curriculum. 

Home-School Partnership 

We believe that a strong home-school partnership is essential in developing confident readers. 

• Pupils take home reading books matched to their level, with reading diaries to record progress. 

• Parents are provided with guidance on how to support reading at home as well as opportunities for parents to come into school and read with their children.

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